The present invention relates to an image processing system using a computer and a copying machine, and more specifically to an image processing system which enables high speed transfer of image data between a computer and a copying machine as well as high quality image processing, and further to a post card printing system, an image processing method, a post card printing method, and a computer-readable recording medium with a program making a computer execute each step of the methods.
To build an image processing system by connecting a digital color copying machine (described as xe2x80x9ccopying machinexe2x80x9d hereinafter) to a computer such as a personal computer or a workstation and also by using the copying machine as a scanner or a printer, it is necessary to connect a dedicated printer controller to a section between the computer and the copying machine. The configuration is employed because a copying machine is ordinarily designed to execute real time operations for reading and forming an image without storing the read image data once in a memory to read out the stored image data for forming the image later and is not adapted to transfer full-color image data requiring a large data volume to a computer.
For this reason, a printer controller has a configuration suited for connection with a copying machine, and has a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a HD, an IC for communications or the like each adapted to the configuration, and further has an image memory for temporally storing image data read by a copying machine or image data to be printed by a copying machine. And the printer controller is connected to a copying machine via an image data bus of the copying machine and also connected to a computer via a general purpose communication line (such as SCSI).
The printer controller receives image data read with a copying machine and stores the image data once in an image memory, and can transfer the image data with communication via the general purpose communication line with a computer. The printer controller executes other types of processings, when PostScript data is received from a computer, such as converting the PostScript data to bit map data and inputting the data into a copying machine.
As described above, availability for various purposes is realized in connection with a copying machine by using a printer controller, whereby any type of computer can be connected to a copying machine. Further, it is possible to build a network by connecting a plurality of computer units via a printer controller to a copying machine.
By the way, when executing the processing of printing data for post card printing prepared by a computer on both surfaces of a post card form with a copying machine, a thickness of a post card form is larger than that of recording paper used by a copying machine or the like, so that it is impossible to print the data on both surfaces of the form with a double-side printing function of a copying machine due to construction of a transfer mechanism in the copying machine. For this reason, it is required to manually feed forms when data is to be printed on both surfaces of a form.
Namely, when printing data on both surfaces of a post card form, employed is a method in which previously prepared top surface data for a post card and rear surface data for a post card are inputted, the top surface data for a post card is printed on one surface of a post card from manually fed, and then the post card form is turned over and again manually fed to print the rear surface data for a post card on another side thereof.
However, although the printer controller can provide wide range adaptability in connection between a computer and a copying machine, as the printer controller and a computer are connected with a general purpose line such as SCSI, for instance, in a case where full-color image data read from a document having A3 size with the resolution of 400 dpi is transferred to a computer, at least several tens of minutes is required to transfer the image data, which means that the transfer rate is disadvantageously low.
As a result, as it is not realistic to read image data at the high resolution of, for instance, 4000 dpi, generally image data is read at the low resolution of 200 dpi or below and transferred to a computer, so that it has been impossible to obtained high quality image data. Namely, a higher transfer rate can be realized only at the sacrifice of image quality. In addition, when image data is read at a low resolution, a data rate becomes smaller, which makes it impossible to remove moire generated when a printed matter is read, resulting in further degradation of image quality.
Also when outputting image data from a computer to a copying machine, it is difficult to print high quality images at a high speed.
In addition, to make it possible for a print controller to receive image data from or output image data to any type of copying machine, the print controller itself requires such components as a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a HD, an IC for communication, an image memory, and for this reason the printer controller is disadvantageously expensive.
Further, in addition to the difficulty of printing high quality images at a high speed, when data for a post card is to be printed on both surfaces of a post card form with a copying machine, it is necessary to execute printing on both surfaces of a post card form manually feeding the form, and after the data is printed on one surface of the post card form, when the post card form is turned over and again manually fed to print data on another side thereof, it is required to ascertain a direction of form feeding so that the printing direction on one side is identical to that on the other side of the post card form. Especially, in a case where data for a plurality of sheets of post cards is to be printed on a post card form having the size equivalent to a plurality sheets of post cards, if an operator forgets to check the direction in which the post card form is fed, data printed on a top surface of the post card form mismatches that printed on a rear surface of the form, which makes the printing work very complicated and troublesome.
It is an object of the present invention to make it possible to connect a copying machine to a computer without using a printer controller nor any general purpose communication line, and to realize a high speed image data transfer.
It is a second object of the present invention to make it possible to read and print high quality image data by realizing a high speed image data transfer.
It is a third object of the present invention to make it possible to remove moire generated when a printed matter is read as well as to obtain higher quality image data by realizing a high speed image data transfer even when image data is read at a high resolution.
It is a fourth object of the present invention to reduce cost of an image processing system as a whole by eliminating the necessity for a printer controller and building the image processing system with existing facilities including a copying machine and a computer.
It is a fifth object to eliminate the necessity of checking a direction in which a post card form is fed, even when data is printed on both sides of the form manually feeding the form.
It is a sixth object of the present invention to prepare data for a post card to be printed on a post card form quite easily.
The image processing system according to the present invention comprises a reader for simultaneously reading image data for three colors of R, G, and B from a document to be read; an editor for editing the image data read by the reader; a printer for printing the image data edited by the editor; and a storage device having a memory for storing therein the image data, to which internal buses of the reader, editor and printer are connected respectively via the memory so that the image data can be transferred via the memory; and in the image processing system the reader executes the processing for reading image data for three colors of R, G, and B from the document and simultaneously writing the read image data for three colors of R, G, and B in discrete regions for the three colors respectively in the memory; the editor executes the processing for reading out image data written by the reader from the memory, editing the image data, and writing the edited image data in the memory again; the printer executes the processing for reading out the image data written by the editor from the memory and printing the image data; and the storage device controls the processing for writing the image data by the reader and the processing for reading out the image data by the printer, so that image data can be transferred at a high speed. Further image data for three colors of R, G, and B can simultaneously be read and written in the memory, so that image data can be transferred at a further higher speed. In addition, as image data can be transferred at a high speed, it becomes possible to read and print high quality image data. Namely, it is not necessary to execute image data transfer via a general purpose communication line with a printer controller, so that image data can be transferred at a high speed.
With the post card printing system according to the present invention for preparing top surface data for a post card as well as rear surface data for the post card, printing the top surface data for a post card on one surface of a post card fed thereto and also printing the rear surface data for the post card on the other surface of the fed post card by using the image processing system according to the present invention, and in the post card printing system the post card has a size in which an even number of post cards are arrayed; the editor prepares top surface data for the post card as well as rear surface data for the post card, writes the prepared top surface data for the post card in a memory of the storage device and copies the data by a plurality of sheets, locates the copied data at symmetrical positions around a central point of the post card form, also writes the prepared rear surface data for the post cards in the memory and copies the data by a plurality of sheets, and locates the copied data at symmetrical positions around a central position of the post card; the printer reads out the top surface data for the post card copied by the editor from the memory, prints the top surface data for the post card on one surface of the fed post card, reads out the rear surface data for the post card copied by the editor from the memory, and prints the rear surface data of the post card on another surface of the fed post card again, so that, in addition to the effects provided by the image processing system, there is provided the effect that the necessity for checking feeding direction of a post card from for coincidence of printing directions on both top and rear surfaces of the form can be eliminated. Namely, when data for a rear surface of a post card is to be printed on a post card form with data for a top surface thereof printed thereon, even if the post card form is fed without checking the printing direction, a printing direction and a printing position on the top surface of the post card matches those on a rear surface thereof. Also as a plurality sheets of post card can simultaneously be printed, the printing efficiency is improved, and a unit cost for a sheet of post card can be reduced.
With the image processing method according to the present invention in an image processing system comprising a reader for simultaneously reading image data for three colors of R, G, and B from a document to be read; an editor for editing the image data read by the reader; a printer for printing the image data edited by the editor; and a storage device having a memory to which internal buses of the reader, editor and printer are connected respectively via the memory so that the image data can be transferred via the memory; the image processing method comprises a reading step of reading image data for three colors of R, G, and B from the document with the reader and also simultaneously writing the read image data for each of the three colors of R, G, and B in the discrete areas for the three colors respectively in the memory; an editing step of reading the image data written in the reading step from the memory, editing the image data with the editor, and writing the edited image data again in the memory; and a printing step of reading the image data written in the editing step from the memory and printing the image data with the printer, so that image data can be transferred at a high speed. Further, image data for three colors of R, G, and B are simultaneously read and written in a memory, so that image data can be transferred at a further higher speed. Furthermore, as image data can be transferred at a higher speed, it becomes possible to read and print high quality image data. Namely, it is not necessary to transfer image data via a general purpose communication line between the image processing system and a printer controller, further higher speed in image data transfer can be realized.
With the post card printing method according to the present invention, there is provided a post card printing method comprising the steps of preparing top surface data as well as rear surface data for a post card, printing the top surface data for a post card on one surface of a post card form, turning over the post card form, and printing the rear surface data for the post card on another surface of the post card manually fed thereto again by using the image processing method according to the present invention; and in this post card printing method the post card has a size in which an even number of post cards are arrayed; said method comprises a post card top surface data generating step of, by means of the editing step, preparing the top surface data for a post card, copying the prepared top surface data for the post card by a plurality of sheets by writing the prepared top surface data for the post card into a memory of the storage device, and also locating the copies symmetrically around a central point of the post card form; a post card top surface data printing step of, by means of the printing step, reading out the top surface data for a post card copied in the post card top surface data generating step from the memory and printing the top surface data for the post card on one surface of the post card form manually fed thereto; a post card rear surface data generating step, by means of the editing step, of preparing rear surface data for the post card, copying the prepared rear surface data by a plurality of sheets by writing the prepared rear surface data for the post card into the memory, and locating the copies symmetrically around a central point of the post card form; and a post card rear surface data printing step of, by means of the printing step, reading out the rear surface data for the post card copied in the post card rear surface generating step from the memory and printing the rear surface data for the post card on another surface of the post card form manually fed thereto again, so that, in addition to the effects provided by the image processing method described above, even in a case where printing is executed manually feeding paper, there is provided the effect that it is not necessary to check a post card form feeding direction so that a printing direction on a top surface thereof matches that on a rear surface thereof. Namely, when rear surface data for a post card is printed on a post card form with top surface data for it having been printed on the top surface, even if a post card form is fed without checking the printing direction, a printing direction and a printing position on the top surface of the post card matches those on the rear surface thereof. Also a plurality sheets of post card can simultaneously be printed, so that the printing efficiency can be improved with a unit cost for a sheet of post card reduced.
Other objects and features of this invention will become understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.